It was a trick question. There’s actually 9. It blew my mind when I first heard it and had to double check
Explain this like I'm retarded b/c I am.
For sure! It blew my mind as well: There are technically 9 distinct commandments in Exodus 20, but the numbering varies depending on tradition because one of them is broken into two.
The confusion comes from the commandments about coveting. In the Catholic and Lutheran tradition, “You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife” is treated as one commandment, and “You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods” is treated as a separate one. That’s how they get 10.
Meanwhile, in most Protestant traditions, the first two commandments are split: 1. “You shall have no other gods before me” 2. “You shall not make for yourself a graven image”
They combine the coveting parts into one, so it still adds up to 10.
But when you read Exodus 20 plainly, you’ll see there are really 9 direct imperatives from God. The numbering is man-made. Scripture doesn’t number them — tradition does. So how you divide them comes down to theological emphasis. Catholics emphasize internal sin like lust and envy as separate violations, which is why they split the coveting. Protestants emphasize idolatry and fear graven images, so they split the first.
Bottom line — there are 9 commands, and traditions divide one of them differently to get to 10. That’s where the difference comes from.
So basically it all hinges on whether or not you treat women as property. God bless the 9 amendments
And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments. Exodus 34:28 KJV
And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even ten commandments; and he wrote them upon two tables of stone. Deuteronomy 4:13 KJV
And he wrote on the tables, according to the first writing, the ten commandments, which the LORD spake unto you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly: and the LORD gave them unto me. Deuteronomy 10:4 KJV
And there are other jokers count 13, which is why I included the first three verses in my comment where the author of the commandments tells you how many there are.
To be honest, it isn’t important to me if it’s interpreted as 9, 10, 13 or 20. The text and tradition are there. Like when did the Exodus take place? It doesn’t really matter to me personally, and doesn’t change my beliefs. I just found the count interesting. There are many instances in the Bible where there are numbers. Keep in mind that if you read different Bibles, there will be different numbers. That’s because the Hebrews didn’t have numbers, they used words. Like the elders, is it 70 or 72? 40 days, is it 40 or 42? Even the amount of Israelites that fled to the dessert, up for debate. The 3000 killed when they had a massive orgy when Moses was on the mountain with God. Not actually 3000. They translated the Hebrew into Greek, and from the Greek into English. There are many instances in the Septuagint, which vary due to translation etc., but it’s the spiritual message that matters at the end of the day.
10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:
11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
Isaiah 55 KJV
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